User:Jules/kickstarter

When I got asked to document a project for Kickstarter I encountered the following problem : none of my previous works had ever required much injection of money to enable their production. Because I couldn't think about how kickstarter could help me realise a precise project I tried to proceed the other way around. So I took some time to see what I could do with it.

I tried to look at what had been done with Kickstarter for Art. That's how I encountered Electric Objects and Frame. Their final aim was to sell screens dedicated to hosting digital art, basically a computer screen but with less functionality than a computer. The presentation were very professional, there was some Art curation and some reference to institution supporting the projects. So here we had a product, some Arty futuristic like hardware.

I saw the use of Kickstarter for patroning Art with two different approach. First there was Jemery Bailey's important portraits, a project enabling the backers to get a portrait made by the artist. It seemed to be an interesting reinvestigation of an old classic : the old tradition of "Art patrons" portraits commissioning. Every backer paid to get their very own Art comissioned object. The format fitted the artist's practice and I imagine that having already quite a network because of his international recognition might have helped the success of the project.

Then there was the Exhibition Kickstarter of Krystal South. She asked several digital artists to create limited editions of artworks that could be sold for a certain amount of donation. The goods would be exhibited afterwards. Interestingly the Art would be sold before the exhibition and not after and the artists would get a 75% comission, which never happens in a Gallery. The process was super interesting but the product was already there to be sold. Also, the artists were already quite none, and their networks all together might have helped the project get known.

I eventually encountered some projects that I found relevant and interesting but didn't manage to reach their target, like the epermanent publication for online art. I have to admit that I was convinced because of the content of the website and the redacted part. But the whole video and display was not very much appealing or trying to stand out of the crowd.

If I tend to prefer a good project to a good communication campaign, it looks like the facts talk for themselves : A successful kickstarter relies on professional like communication strategy and solid Networking. It also requires the output of the project to be financially viable, a production that makes money and can give a retribution to the backers.

So I attempted to establish the recipe for a successful Kickstarter :

- Good story
- Realistic budget
- Nice video, quality images, good communication
- Argumentation for convincing
- Famous names can help (build up trust)
- Simple system of rewards
- Anticipate on the realisation of the project
- Regular updates


Diffusion :
- Twitter and Facebook
- List blogs that would help me spread the word
- Sample Email for blog diffusion:

Introduce the project and briefly describe why you’re writing

Add a link early on

Further describe why you’re writing

Explain how you want the blogger to help

Provide a little bit more info on the project

End strong with a final link and generous thanks

I do not have a really good Network of people to help me get a potential Art kickstarter funded. As I was doing my research I encountered “kickended”, a project by Silvio Larusso archiving all the kickstarter projects which didnt't manage to get any fundings at all. After watching a few awkward videos, reading some very succint non sensical project proposals and sighing at the very desperating microsoft-paint-like montages (bad ones), it was quite clear why those didn't get anything. Then, I eventually encountered the Art House, a project by someone called Peter Egan. Although it didn't get money, it appeared to have potential. It really appealed me that this would be a business model and that it was actually raising some interesting questions related to retribution of artists and the value of Art. I thought that applying the methods which seemed to help Kickstarters success could help. I got in touch with Peter and tried to use what I learnt from my research to upgrade the project.

Here is our exchange :